Ramblings On My Mind

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ramblings201306BNGreg Johnson / CBA President

Well it is December, which means it is time to select your elected officers for the year 2014. It also means that I need to get back on my soapbox and appeal to our members the need for help. The Cascade Blues Association is recognized as one of the largest blues societies in the country, yet the people behind the scenes handling the day-to-day business is quite a small number (actually it amounts to far less than 1% of all members). This means that the same people are doing all the work to make sure this operation continues to run and that we are able to put on the events and programs that you want us to. I receive a lot of great ideas from members on what the CBA should be doing or how we can Read more

CBA Board – Intent to Run 2014

It has certainly been an honor to serve as your Cascade Blues Association President for nearly 12 years and I am asking if you would consider me back for a 13th year. My main drive with the Cascade Blues Association has never wandered, it has always been about how we can garner more attention for our local artists locally, regionally and nationally. I have also held the ethic that all musicians are treated equally and fairly. That is why you see promotions of events in the BluesNotes whether they are co-sponsored by the CBA or not, as I believe it is the role of the blues society to inform its members of all blues related events. I have been the main contributor of the BluesNotes for many years, with nearly every article in the paper aside from the Bandstand and most feature stories having been composed by myself. That in itself is more than a full time job. I try to attend as many shows and events as I can, taking the time to document the scene with photographs. I travel usually twice a year to Memphis where I assist in the International Blues Challenge as a venue Read more

A Big Night For Kevin Selfe At The 25th Annual Muddy Awards

The Cascade Blues Association held their 25th annual Muddy Awards celebration on Thursday, November 7th at The Melody Ballroom in Portland and with little doubt it was certainly the night for Kevin Selfe & The Tornadoes. The band took honors in seven of the twenty-two categories presented, including both Contemporary & Traditional Blues Act, Kevin for Electric Guitar, Jimi Bott for Drums, both the NW Recording & National Recording for Long Walk Home and Performance of the Year for their big band set at the Waterfront Blues Festival.

Other recipients included Ben Rice whose band tied with Kevin’s for Traditional Blues Act and he also received the award for the “Curtis Salgado” Male Vocalist. Rae Gordon was Read more

Duff’s Garage Welcomes West Coast Favorites Rick Estrin & The Nightcats : Dec 4th

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats - press photo2013 Blues Music Award recipient for Harmonica Player of the Year Rick Estrin will be leading his always popular band The Nightcats back to Portland for what will definitely be another stellar night of fun-time blues. Estrin has been praised over the years for his sensational stage presence and crafty often humorous songwriting alongside his harmonica work. He is joined in the band by one of the most fierce guitar slingers to be found anywhere in Kid Anderson. Rick Estrin & The Nightcats are a party just waiting to break out, which has always made them a much in demand act in Portland and at festivals and venues around the world. Blues Revue describes the band as “rollicking and raucous, super-cool and hip…satirical, sharp lyrics and killer solos. It just doesn’t get any better than this.” More truer words have never been spoken.

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats will be returning to one of their favorite West Coast venues, Duff’s Garage, on Wednesday, December 4th. Tickets for the show are available in advance at www.tickettomato.com or at the door for $15.00. This is a Cascade Blues Association co-sponsored event, so bring your current membership card to receive a $1.00 discount at the door only. Duff’s Garage is located at 1635 SE 7th. Showtime is 9:00 pm.

Cascade Blues Association Holiday Party, Dec. 11th

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The Cascade Blues Association wants to invite all of our members to our annual membership holiday party. It takes place on Wednesday, December 11th, starting at 6:30 pm, at The Melody Ballroom, 615 SE Alder St. We will have live music featuring Kenny Lee & The Sundowners, the Ellen Whyte Trio and the Norman Sylvester Band. The CBA will provide some finger snacks and members are welcome to bring baked goods to share. The Tualatin Valley Gleaners will also be on hand accepting canned food donations for the Oregon Food Bank. Though this is a member’s only event, you are welcome to join the CBA at the door if you wish to attend. Come out and celebrate the holidays with good friends and outstanding blues.

 

Little G Weevil

Moving
VizzTone

Little G Weevil CD coverHaving originally come to the United States from Budapest, Hungary, one really would not believe that Gabor Szucs could possibly possess the knowledge and skills to play truly authentic sounding blues. But that notion would clearly be a fallacy.  Szucs, better known as Little G Weevil, proved exactly that by taking the title in the solo/duo competition at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

Little G Weevil was your typical young guitarist fond of rock music when his brother brought home an album by John Lee Hooker. And that mystical sound that he heard on that disc enchanted him, telling him that this was the music he was destined to pursue. Pursue it he did, making the move to the United States and the home of the blues in Memphis where he worked as a dishwasher in the clubs on Beale Street and busked in his Read more

Voo Davis

Vicious Things
Butter & Bacon Records

Voo Davis CD coverThis is one of those discs that continues to impress me more with each listen. Brian “Voo” Davis was born and spent his early years in Alabama, then moved with his family to Chicago when he was young. Living in Chicago brought him exposure to many of the most renowned blues players of our time including touring with the late Eddie King’s band, but he still feels a little draw to his Southern roots. Regardless, neither of these locales come across as dominating his musical interests and definitely do not pigeon-hole his own creations. He is his own person with his own individual sound. And it really is a diverse range that he follows. It can come across with a flair of blues, jazz, country or rock. Really any direction he likes and he does them all with amazing results.

Vicious Things is Voo Davis’ second release. He had a vision to go old school with this Read more

Tedeschi Trucks Band to Play Salem’s Elsinore Theater; Dec. 8th

Tedeschi Trucks Band - press photoBoth husband and wife Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi had long standing successful careers as individual artists when they decided to join their talents together in 2010. After all, it is a bit tough on a marriage when you’re separated so much with touring, so why not do it together. It was a match definitely made in heaven as the Tedeschi Trucks Band in its short time as a unit has amassed multiple Grammy and Blues Music Awards, including both band and guitarist of the year, while selling out theaters and headlining festivals around the world.

The Tedeschi Trucks Band, currently touring on their latest highly praised CD, Made Up Mind, will be returning to the Pacific Northwest, with a stop at the Elsinore Theater in Salem on Sunday, December 8th. Tickets are available through www.TicketsWest.com and range from $39.50 to $69.50, with a $2.00 increase in price on the day of the show. This is an all ages event and showtime is at 7:00 pm. The Elsinore Theater is located at 170 High Street SE in Salem. The rock band The London Souls opens.

The Story Of Piano Blues: From The Country To The City

Various Artists
Wolf Records

The Story of Piano Blues CD coverOh, what I wouldn’t give to have the opportunity to go through the recorded archives of some of the record labels offering blues music. Take the German label Wolf Records for example. They consistently come up with releases of some very obscure or lost recordings of both well-known and overlooked musicians, including some never heard before tracks or out-of-print albums that deserve to be heard once again. They have covered artists like Magic Slim, John Primer, Detroit Junior and many others over the years and sometimes put out compilations that are flat out superb. Their latest release is one of those compilations, gathering ten blues pianists offering solo and groupings in both live and Read more

Pete Anderson

Birds Above Guitarland
Little Dog Records

Pete Anderson CD coverPete Anderson is one of those guitarists with a tone that most players would die for. Never overstated playing, using just the right amount to address each song he presents. With a career deeply implanted with a twanging rock background, his music never really does stray too far away from his love for the blues. He has had his share of helping others, bringing artists like Lucinda Williams and Rosei Flores to the forefront and a long partnership performing with Dwight Yoakum, something that has crossed his work over several genres Read more